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Monday, September 05, 2005
Mongaya: Cory and Susan united?
By Anol Mongaya
THE front-page photograph of former president Cory Aquino and Susan Roces, the widow of the late Fernando Poe Jr., sitting side by side during a prayer rally in San Juan, Metro Manila, goes a long way in projecting unity that had eluded the anti-GMA forces.
While the Left and moderate Left groups had united with the various opposition factions in the streets and in Congress, anti-GMA forces associated with former president Aquino had stayed away until recently.
Remember that fateful Friday when the Hyatt 10, the Drilon wing of the Liberal Party and Cory left President Arroyo? Left groups and their pro-Erap allies held a rally in Makati.
I thought the participation of pro-Cory groups would swell the ranks of the protesters then. But they held their distance.
The disunity coupled with the arrival of former president Fidel V. Ramos at GMA’s side and the ambiguous stand of the Catholic bishops spelled failure to efforts to stir up an Edsa-like uprising in July.
Thus the arena of struggle shifted to the Lower House with the impeachment move.
But we saw through the following weeks the failure of the opposition in the House to gather 79 signatures. The impeachment effort was doomed.
Nevertheless, it demonstrated to the populace and to the various factions of the anti-GMA forces the need for unity.
Cory and Susan Roces sitting together is thus a milestone in this circuitous process towards opposition unity.
Yet I am pessimistic that they can achieve what had been lacking all along to draw the populace around opposition ranks. They need to agree on a concrete alternative to President Arroyo.
In my mind and many others, the equation is simple. It’s either GMA or we entertain chaos.
The only thread that has united the anti-GMA forces is GMA. Take away President Arroyo and the various anti-GMA factions will fight each other.
But could the anti-GMA forces finally agree to have one concrete alternative?
Unfortunately, I don’t see any effort yet towards this.
Before Edsa 1, the opposition then ensured that they agreed on one leader. And the process was as thorny as the struggle against the dictator.
In the present struggle, the opposition has neglected exerting efforts on choosing a leader that will be the alternative to President Arroyo.
Now the question: they know this is their weakness but why ignore the need to address the issue? Are they afraid that this will only lead to disunity? Or is each faction hoping to gain the upper hand if GMA falls?
***
Recently, I learned that various opposition factions in Cebu are reorganizing and will soon present a united front with their cause-oriented allies. The defection of Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez to the opposition ranks should give the local guys a boost.
Still, I do hope they would address the critical issues I raised. Until they do, I expect more years under a politically limp President Arroyo at the helm.
(September 5, 2005 issue)
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